Hanover, in Oxford County, lies on the north side of
Bethel, of which it was formerly a part. It constituted the north-east corner of the latter town, and is separated
from it by the Androscoggin River. Its form is that of a triangle, having for its base the irregular line ot the
Androscoggin. The extreme length in a direct line on the river is about 5 miles. Rumford bounds it on the north-east,
and Newrv on the north-west. The surface is broken and uneven. Bear and Bartlett mountains are the principal eminences,
and Howe’s Ledge a prominent object. Howard's Pond, with an area of 250 acres, has an altitude of 365 feet above
the Androscoggin into which it empties 1½ miles southward. The forests contain the large variety of trees
common in the region. The town has some of the best interval farms in the State. The soil is a fine loam, yielding
well of all crops, but chiefly hay. The rock in general is a coarse granite.

The water-power is on the outlet of Howard’s Pond. There is a darn near the pond. At Hanover Village, a canal on
each side of the stream conducts water to the mills, of which there are seven. There is also a steam mill for the
manufacture of dowels. The other manufactures are woollens, leather, boots and shoes, furniture, flour, meal,long
and short lumber, sash, blinds and doors, rakes, etc. Locke’s Mills, on the Grand Trunk Railway, 7 miles distant,
is the nearest station. The town is on the stage-route from Andover to Bryant’s Pond, another station on the Grand
Trunk.

Hanover was first settled by Nathaniel Segar, from Newton, Mass., in the spring of 1774. He was subsequently in
the United States service until 1780, when lie again became a resident of Hanover. In 1781, he was taken captive
by the Indians on their last hostile incursion in Maine, and was held a prisoner by them for sixteen months. He
then a third time returned to this place, where he spent the remainder of his days. In 1780 and soon after came
Jonathan Bean, Jesse Duston, Moses and Stephen Bartlett. About the year 1792 Phineas Howard, from Temple, N. H.,
purchased the unoccupied land in this township from Massachusetts; and from him it received its early name of “Howard’s
Gore.” It was incorporated as Hanover, Feb. 14th 1843. The town sent 28 men to do battle for the Union in the war
of the Rebellion, losing 5 of the number.

There is here a Methodist society, which sustains meetings through the year. The number of public schoolhouses
is three. The value of school property is stated as $1,500. The valuation of estates in 1870 was $58,280. In 1880
it was $64,124. The rate of taxation in the latter year was 7 mills on a dollar. The population in 1870 was 188.
In 1880 it was 203.